The wind farm grant ensures that the museum’s trust can continue to carry out community projects
The John Hastie Museum Trust in Strathaven can continue to deliver community projects with a successful wind farm grant application.
The charity’s usual indoor summer exhibit – aimed at educating the community about local history – was canceled last year due to the pandemic.
Lockdown meant their planned exhibition of local 18th century revolutionary James ‘Purlie’ Wilson couldn’t go ahead.
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However, a £ 1,000 grant from Banks Renewables’ South Lanarkshire Kype Muir Wind Farm Community Fund got them back on track.
Anna McCann of the trust said Lanarkshire Live: “Each year, the trust hosts a summer exhibition during the last two weeks of June, facilitating workshops for local schools.
“We had booked the church hall for our summer exhibition last year, but unfortunately the pandemic prevented it from going as planned.”
The grant was allocated to COVID-safe community projects, including a socially distant outdoor pop-up exhibit in Common Green and a community-created ‘Strathaven time capsule’.
Anne added: “Keeping Strathaven’s story alive is the Trust’s key goal.
“Without additional funding from people like the Kype Muir Community Panel (KMCP) and the generosity of the community, we wouldn’t be able to do what we’re doing.
“When the restrictions started to ease in July 2020, the banks allowed us to spend the grant to rent an outdoor gazebo so that we could hold a socially distant pop-up outdoor exhibit in Common Green which was a huge success with the community.
“The funding also allows us to create a COVID time capsule, filled with memories, stories, images and artwork from the people of Strathaven throughout the pandemic.â€
“We are optimistic that we can organize our exhibition as planned this summer.”
The KMCP allocates money to local community groups within a 10 kilometer radius of the wind farm.
Funding began in April 2019 when the 26-turbine wind farm began producing green electricity.
George Smith, who chairs the KMCP, said: “Trust is an important part of the Strathaven community.
“We are delighted to be able to support the group and look forward to seeing more exhibitions and events held this year.”
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